Support apparatus for boundary walls of a vapor generator



Jan. 11, 1966 P. SCHALOSKE 3,228,379

SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR BOUNDARY WALLS OF A VAPOR GENERATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 F IG. 6 28 INVENTOR.

Perer Schaloske Jan. 11, 1966 P. SCHALOSKE 3,228,379

SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR BOUNDARY WALLS OF A VAPOR GENERATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Peter Schaloske f ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 P. SCHALOSKE 3,228,379

SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR BOUNDARY WALLS OF A VAPOR GENERATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

Perer Schal oske United States Patent 3,228,379 SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR BOUNDARY WALLS OF A VAPOR GENERATQR Peter Schaloske, Oherhausen, Rhinelan'd, Germany, assignor to Babcoclr & Wilcox, Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Dec. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 157,239 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 7, 1966, D 34,895 6 Claims. (Cl. 122-510) This invention relates in general to vapor generators and more particularly to improvements in the supports for and routing of fluid heating tubes especially adapted to line the boundary Walls of a forced flow vapor generator.

In a unit of the character described, it is important for the different circuits to be substantially equally heated. In addition, the formation in an economical manner of enclosure walls of adequate rigidity and maintenance of the wall tubes in their proper relative positions by simple but effective means are design considerations of importance.

In forced flow vapor generators which are frequently and quickly started up the tube support and routing problems are particularly marked because of considerable differential expansion between the already hot tube walls inside the furnace and the still cold outer supporting steel work, which may cause damage to the pressure parts and support structure an interruption in operation. Designs are already known where the connection between the tube walls and the supporting steel work of forced flow vapor generators is kept flexible by use of various transmission links. However, experience has shown that the objective of such supporting systems is only partly achieved and that the expenditure by way of complex support devices is considerable.

In accordance with the invention and by way of eliminating the objects of previous support systems, a vapor generator of the character described is provided with a boundary wall including a row of horizontally extending vertically contiguous fluid cooled tube lengths arranged for parallel flow of fluid therethrough and subject to high temperature heating gases. The provisions for support of the tube lengths include an upright structural steel member and a looped tubular element formed in an intermediate portion of one of the tube lengths and displaced laterally from the wall in an outward direction, with the looped tubular element overlapping the other tube lengths and connected to the structural steel member and to at least one of the other tube lengths in a manner restraining lateral movement of all of the tube lengths, permitting longitudinal movement of said one other tube length, and providing metallic paths for thermal conductivity between the looped tubular element and the structural steel member so that the latter approaches the same temperature as the looped tubular element, thereby minimizing differential expansions and thermal stresses between the structural steel member and the tube lengths.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional plan view of the boundary walls of the furnace of a forced flow vapor generator showing wall tubes supported and routed in accordance with the invention;

3,223,379 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the tube circuitry of the boundary walls of the furnace of the vapor generator showing one half of the circumference of the furnace unfolded into a single vertical plane;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of one of the looped tubular support elements of FIG. 2 with some parts shown in section for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a vertical view taken along line 44 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view taken essentially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the routing of tubular elements of FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 shows a furnace chamber 42 of rectangular horizontal cross-section fired by burners (not shown) and defined by upright walls 15, 16, 18 and 20. The boundary walls of the furnace are formed by metallic casing 21 lined by radiantly heated fluid heating tubes, with supports for the casing and tubes being provided by structural steel members including upright channel-shaped members 22 uniformly distributed about the circumference of the furnace. As seen in FIG. 5 the casing 21 is suitably secured to the flanges of the channel members 22.

The tube lining of the furnace boundary walls is in two sections, 24A and 248, each section extending over one half of the circumference of the furnace and comprising contiguous horizontally extending nested multilooped continuous tubes arranged in vertically spaced panels and connected for parallel flow of fluid between a common inlet header 27 and a common outlet header 28. The tubes of section 24A line one half of the wall 15, all of the wall 20, and one half of the wall 18; while the tubes of section 248 line the other half of the wall 15, all of the wall 16, and the other half of the wall 18. Since the tube arrangements of sections 24A and 24B are substantially identical, only one of these arrangements will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, tube section 24A comprises fourteen continuous tubes 1-14 bent into sinuous nested formations and having relatively long horizontal runs interconnected by relatively short vertical runs, which serve to accommodate differential movements between the horizontal runs, to form in effect vertically spaced horizontal tube panels A, B and C and to provide ascending fluid flow through successive panels. Each panel winds around about one half of the circumference of the furmice, with the panel portion-s in each of the walls 15, 18, and 20 being substantially coplanar. Each of the continuous tubes 1-14 has its respective horizontal tube run portions in the panels interconnected in a manner which changes the location of successive horizontal tube runs relative to the upper and lower edges of its corresponding panel, to the end that the horizontal tube run of each panel bears the name distance relation to the upper horizontal edge of the panel as the horizontal tube run of the next preceding panel to the lower horizontal edge of the next preceding panel. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, each of the continuous tubes 1-14 has each of its horizontal tube portions in the panels formed with a multi-looped tube portion 26; closed hairpin-shaped in the case of the horizontal tube runs of continuous tubes 1, 2, 13 and 14 and figure 8-shaped in the case of the horizontal tube runs of the remaining continuous tubes. Each looped tubular element 26 extends vertically to the elevation of the upper and lower edges of its corresponding panel and is displaced laterally in an outward direction and disposed within a corresponding channel member to provide support for the tubes of the corresponding panel in a manner hereinafter described. Thus the number of looped tubular support elements in each panel corresponds to the number of continuous tubes and to the number of upright channel members 22 and each of the continuous tubes is formed with about the same number of bends so that the resistance in each tube is substantially the same, thereby promoting uniform distribution of flow between the parallel flow tubes.

Since the support provisions associated with each of the tubular elements 26 is substantially the same, only one of these arrangements will be described. In accordance with the invention, and as shown in FIGS. 3-5, continuous tube 8 has an intermediate portion of its horizontal tube run in the panel A displaced laterally in an outward direction and bent into the shape of a figure 8, with the tubular element 26 so formed being disposed within and enclosed by a corresponding channel member 22 and extending to the upper and lower edges of the panel A. The upper cross-over portion of the tubular element 26 is secured to the web of the channel 22 by a thin vertically arranged metallic plate 28 extending normal to the panel A and to the web and through the web and a plate 30 disposed outside of and in contact with the web, with the plate 28 having its inner vertical edge suitably formed and welded to the upper cross-over portion of the tubular element 26 and its outer end welded to the outer surface of the plate 30 and with the plate 30 having its opposite vertical edges welded to the web of the channel member 22. So the plates 28 and 30 provide metallic paths of thermal conductivity between the tube and channel members to the end that the channel members tend to assume the same temperature as the tubes, thereby minimizing the diflerential expansions and thermal stresses referred to during starting up and shutting down of the vapor gener-ator. A thin metallic plate 32 extending normal to the panel A is disposed mostly within and along the vertical centerline of each of the loops of the tubular element 26 and is secured to the corresponding loop by a pair of metallic fillets 34 disposed on opposite sides of and extending normal to the plate 32 and having their vertical edges respectively welded to the plate 32 and to the corresponding tube loop, with continuous tube having its horizontal tube run in the panel A secured to the lower plate 32 by a horizontally extending U-shaped metallic member 33 having its opposite ends Welded to the tube run 5 and its intermediate portion extending through and normal to the plate 32 in a manner permitting longitudinal movement of the horizontal tube run. Continuous tubes 1 and 14 have their horizontal tube runs in the pan-e1 A respectively secured to the upper and lower loops of the tubular element 26 by studs 35 welded at their opposite ends to the loops and the horizontal tube runs and along their lengths to the plates 32.

Thus each tubular support element 26 cooperates with the support device above described and the corresponding channel member to provide support for the tubes of panel A. The cooperative eifect of all the tubular elements 26 and associated support devices and channel members is such as to provide support for all of the horizontal tube runs at several positions within each of the panels, while restraining lateral movements of the tubes of the panels and permitting longitudinal movement of the horizontal tube runs.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described herein the best form of the invention now known to me, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention covered by my claims, and that certain features of my invention may sometime be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a wall including a vertical row of horizontally extending fluid cooled tube lengths arranged for parallel flow of fluid therethrough and providing a boundary for a chamber confining high temperature heating gases, means for carrying the weight of said tube lengths including:

(a) an upright structural steel member disposed exteriorly of said wall,

(b) a looped tubular element formed in an intermediate portion of one of said tube lengths and displaced laterally from and disposed in most part outside of said wall and overlapping others of said tube lengths, and

(c) means connecting said looped tubular element to said structural steel member and to one of said other tube lengths.

2. In combination with a wall including a vertical row of horizontally extending contiguous fiuid cooled tube lengths arranged for parallel flow of fiuid therethrough and providing a boundary for a chamber confining high temperature heating gases, means for supporting said tube lengths including:

(a) an upright channel shaped structural steel member disposed exteriorly of said wall,

(b) a tubular element formed into a vertically extending figure 8 shape in an intermediate portion of one of said tube lengths to provide two looped portions and a cross-over portion and displaced laterally from said wall in an outward direction, said tubular element being disposed Within said channel member and overlapping the other tube lengths, and

(c) means connecting said tubular element to said structural steel member and to one of said other tube lengths, while restraining lateral movement of said other tube lengths and permitting longitudinal movement of said one other tube length, said last named means including (1) a plate member having one end secured to the cross-over portion of said tubular element and its opposite end secured to said channel member,

('2) another plate member secured to and disposed in most part within one of the looped portions of said tubular element, and

(3) a U-shaped metallic element extending through said other plate member and having its opposite ends secured to said one other tube length.

3. In combination with a wall including a vertical row of horizontally extending contiguous fluid cooled tube lengths arranged in vertically spaced panels and for parallel flow of fluid therethrough and providing a boundary for a chamber confining high temperature gases, means for supporting the tube lengths of each of said panels including:

(a) upright channel shaped structural steel members disposed exteriorly of said wall,

(b) a looped tubular element formed in an intermediate portion of each of the tube lengths of each of said :panels and displaced laterally from said wall in an outward direction, the tubular element of each tube length of each panel being disposed in most part within a corresponding channel member and extending across and overlapping all of the other tube lengths, and

(c) means connecting each of said tubular elements to its corresponding channel member and to one of the other tube lengths of the corresponding panel.

4. In combination with a Wall including a vertical row of horizontally extending contiguous fluid cooled tube lengths arranged in vertically spaced panels and for parallel flow of fluid therethrough and providing a boundary for a chamber confining high temperature gases, means for supporting the tube lengths of each of said panels including:

(a) upright channel shaped structural steel members disposed exteriorly of said wall,

(b) a tubular element formed into a vertically extending figure 8 shape in an intermediate portion of each of the tube lengths of each of said panels and displaced laterally from said wall in an outward direction, the tubular element of each tube length of each panel being disposed within a corresponding channel member and extending across and overlapping all of the other tube lengths of the corresponding panel, and (c) means connecting each of said tubular elements to its corresponding channel member and to some of the other tube lengths of the corresponding panel. 5. In combination with a wall including a vertical row of horizontally extending fluid cooled tube lengths arranged for parallel flow of fluid therethrough and providing a boundary for a chamber confining high temperature heating gases, means for carrying the weight of said tube lengths including:

(a) upright channel shaped structural steel members disposed exteriorly of said wall,

(b) a looped tubular element formed in an intermediate portion of each of said tube lengths and displaced laterally from and disposed in most part outside of said Wall, the looped tubular element of each tube length being disposed within a corresponding channel member and extending across and overlapping all of the other tube lengths, and

(c) means connecting the looped tubular element of each tube length to its corresponding channel member and to one of the other tube lengths.

6. In combination with a wall including a vertical row of horizontally extending fluid cooled tube lengths arranged for parallel flow of fluid therethrough and providing a boundary for a chamber confining high temperature heating gases, means for carrying the weight of said tube lengths including:

(a) upright channel shaped structural steel members disposed exteriorly of said wall,

(b) a tubular element formed into a vertically extending figure 8 shape in an intermediate portion of each of said tube lengths and displaced laterally from and disposed in most part outside of said wall, the tubular element of each tube length being disposed within a corresponding channel member and extending across and overlapping all of the other tube lengths, and

(c) means connecting the tubular element of each tube length to its corresponding channel member and to one of the other tube lengths.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,437,975 12/1922 Hoflman et al 122-510 2,015,328 9/ 1935 Wood 122-510 2,033,077 3/1936 Kerr et al. 122-5l0 2,088,724 8/ 1937 Rosencrants 1225l0 2,228,953 1/ 1941 Hackett 122-5 10 2,981,241 8/1961 =Barton 122-6 FOREIGN PATENTS 66,168 5/ 1943 Norway.

122,973 10/ 1948 Sweden.

232,440 1/ 1960 Australia.

245,019 1926 Great Britain. 1,226,718 2/1960 France.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner. CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A WALL INCLUDING A VERTICAL ROW OF HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING FLUID COOLED TUBE LENGTHS ARRANGED FOR PARALLEL FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH AND PROVIDING A BOUNDARY FOR A CHAMBER CONFINING HIGH TEMPERATURE HEATING GASES, MEANS FOR CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF SAID TUBE LENGTHS INCLUDING: (A) AN UPRIGHT STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBER DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF SAID WALL, (B) A LOOPED TUBULAR ELEMENT FORMED IN AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF ONE OF SAID TUBE LENGTHS AND DISPLACED LATERALLY FROM AND DISPOSED IN MOST PART OUTSIDE OF SAID WALL AND OVERLAPPING OTHERS OF SAID TUBE LENGTHS, AND 